When you go shopping you have some reasonable expectations about your experience. You expect to be treated fairly and honestly and that what you pay for is what you will receive. Many of these basic rights are protected by a type of law known as consumer law, which is designed to protect the customer from being defrauded. Unfortunately, there are occasionally brands and stores who will still seek to take advantage of customers, so it is important to know how to protect yourself. Here are some important things to understand about consumer law.
What Does Consumer Law Protect Against?
Until a few decades ago, there was little regulation about the buying and selling of personal goods. Most people assumed that both the buyer and seller could negotiate and come to an agreement about what a particular item was worth. In more recent times, regulatory bodies have determined that it is very possible for sellers to take advantage of buyers and have put in place legal restrictions to prevent this.
Consumer law helps to make sure that customers are aware of what they are buying, such as the ingredients in food; that advertising is fair and does not mislead; that debt collection is fair, and nearly every step in the buying and selling of goods is ordered towards creating a level playing field.
How Can a Lawyer Help with Consumer Law?
There are plenty of dishonest people who are looking to make a quick buck of unsuspecting customers, and if it happens to you it can be frustrating, saddening, and financially difficult. Say for example you saw an advertisement for an excellent new product for your home. You go out to buy it, and it costs more than you typically spend on household items, but the commercials promised that this piece was going to be really fantastic so you believe that it is worth it. After you get it home, however, you realize the advertising was completely false. It does not do what it was supposed to do. You feel misled and cheated, but no one will listen. The store does not want to take it back because the packaging is open and the manufacturer says that nothing is wrong with the item itself. You will probably feel trapped and wondering if there is any way to get your money back and to let other people know about this product.
A consumer lawyer can review the case and see if the advertising was false. If it was, they can look for other people who fell into the same trap as you and help everyone get together and fight the misleading advertising of the company. When a company purposely lies to a company, it is not just wrong, it is illegal, and a lawyer can help customers receive justice.
Consumer law helps to ensure that transactions are completed honestly and with integrity. When people fail to listen to the system, however, lawyers at Davis Levin Livingston can help customers get the compensation they deserve.